AUSTIN September 4, 2014 - Coinciding with the Labor Day holiday and traditional beginning of the political season, Texas Secretary of State Nandita Berry embarked on the General Election phase of the Vote Texas campaign. Her goal is to make sure all Texans have the information and resources they need to participate in upcoming elections.

“Voting is a fundamental right and responsibility, and we want to make sure all Texans have the information they need to know how, when, and where to vote this fall,” said Secretary Berry. “The November 4 Election will be the biggest election yet requiring a photo ID, and I want to remind Texans that they need to bring one of seven forms of approved ID if they vote in person.”

With the fall school semester beginning and the Nov. 4 General Election approaching, Secretary Berry is visiting 12 college campuses from Lubbock to Austin to the Rio Grande Valley. At each stop, she is meeting with administrators and student leaders to help make sure college students are informed about the voting process.

“We want younger and first-time voters to feel confident about voting, and we want to assure them that the process is easy, fair, and that their vote counts,” said Secretary Berry. “By visiting college campuses we are sending the signal that voting is an important civic obligation and we are highlighting all the great work that is being done to educate students about voting in Texas.”

Secretary Berry began the Vote Texas College Campus Tour last week, with visits to Texas Tech University, Lubbock Christian University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas-Pan American, Texas A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, Rice University and Lamar University. She makes stops this week at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, and Texas Southern University.

In addition to her busy week visiting campuses, Secretary Berry threw out the first pitch at the Astros vs. Rangers baseball game at Minute Maid Park in Houston on August 28. By participating in the popular Lone Star Series rivalry game, Secretary Berry sought to bring added attention to the Vote Texas campaign and VoteTexas.gov, the official voter resource in Texas.

Secretary Berry will continue to travel throughout the state leading up to the November 4 Election to promote VoteTexas.gov and other Vote Texas resources.

The Vote Texas campaign is an integrated public education campaign that includes advertising, community engagement, and social media outreach. Campaign resources in English and Spanish – such as posters, radio and TV commercials, and newsletter content – can be found and easily shared via the campaign website: www.VoteTexas.gov.

The deadline to register to vote in the General Election is Oct. 6, 2014. Early voting begins on Oct. 20 and ends on Oct. 31, and the election will be held on Nov. 4, 2014.

To cast a ballot in person, registered voters need to present one of the following approved forms of photo ID:

Texas Driver License – issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Personal Identification Card – issued by DPS
Texas Concealed Handgun License – issued by DPS
United States Military Identification card containing the person’s photograph
United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
United States Passport – issued by the U.S. government
Election Identification Certificate – issued free by DPS
With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the photo ID must be current or expired no more than 60 days.

Any citizen who does not have an approved ID can apply for a free Election Identification Certificate from the Department of Public Safety. A citizen with a documented disability can apply for a permanent exemption from the photo ID requirement. Also, in almost every circumstance, voters who vote by mail will not need photo ID.

Voters should visit www.VoteTexas.gov for helpful information regarding how and where to vote, and can also call the Secretary of State’s toll-free hotline, 1-800-252-VOTE (8683).